Ocean Voyage : Helsinki- Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
PONANT invites you to spend several days aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the first hybrid electric polar exploration ship, enjoying an immersive interlude during an Ocean Voyage. Leaving from Helsinki, you will set sail north for a twelve-day voyage, without ports of call, to Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
The sea exercises an undeniable power of attraction. Infinite time and space take on their full meaning in the heart of the elements, inviting you to humbly enter the here and now. As lovers of the sea, experienced observers and curious explorers of the planet, you can make the most of this rare opportunity and, alongside those who bring the ship to life, discover the soul of Le Commandant Charcot, which is fitted out for polar exploration. During this voyage with the ocean as the horizon, you will share an on-board experience that follows the pace of the ship and its crew. You will feel the majesty and the power of this ship, whose design is a genuine technological achievement.
Alongside the naturalists who will share their knowledge of the polar regions with you, you will understand the challenges of scientific knowledge and gain awareness about the actions of the company, which is committed to preserving biodiversity. Following in the wake of Commandant Cousteau, we are convinced that people only really protect what they know.
The interior design, entrusted to the architects Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Jean-Philippe Nuel, provides a precious cocoon in which it feels good to warm up and take shelter so as to get more out of the exterior. Noble materials, soft tones, subdued lighting, refined decoration. The gastronomy symbolises French-style luxury and will offer you fine epicurean escapades, thanks to the menus imagined by Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse and the signature dishes served in his restaurants.
Let yourself be tempted by a dip in the Blue Lagoon while you enjoy the light over the sea. The indoor pool, the gym and the fitness classes, the Biologique Recherche spa, with its treatment rooms, massages and sauna, the snow room and the hair salon will also allow you to unwind without a care in the world.
Enjoy this crossing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, like a prelude to the infinite possibilities of knowledge and openness to the world that it promises, between a conscious adventure and new explorations.
When searching for a luxury yacht expedition cruise, there’s one name above all else that you need to know – Ponant Cruises. Founded in 1988 by former French Merchant Navy officers, Ponant combines succulent luxury with authentic adventures on all seven continents.
From classic Mediterranean itineraries and Caribbean sailings, to bucket-list expeditions around Greenland and Antarctica, Ponant cruises proudly counteract the banality of mainstream voyages with a unique take on the concept of small-ship cruising. It’s the absolute trip of a lifetime.
A city of the sea, Helsinki was built along a series of oddly shaped peninsulas and islands jutting into the Baltic coast along the Gulf of Finland. Streets and avenues curve around bays, bridges reach to nearby islands, and ferries ply among offshore islands.Having grown dramatically since World War II, Helsinki now absorbs more than one-tenth of the Finnish population. The metro area covers 764 square km (474 square miles) and 315 islands. Most sights, hotels, and restaurants cluster on one peninsula, forming a compact central hub. The greater Helsinki metropolitan area, which includes Espoo and Vantaa, has a total population of more than a million people.Helsinki is a relatively young city compared with other European capitals. In the 16th century, King Gustav Vasa of Sweden decided to woo trade from the Estonian city of Tallinn and thus challenge the Hanseatic League's monopoly on Baltic trade. Accordingly, he commanded the people of four Finnish towns to pack up their belongings and relocate to the rapids on the River Vantaa. The new town, founded on June 12, 1550, was named Helsinki.For three centuries, Helsinki (Helsingfors in Swedish) had its ups and downs as a trading town. Turku, to the west, remained Finland's capital and intellectual center. However, Helsinki's fortunes improved when Finland fell under Russian rule as an autonomous grand duchy. Czar Alexander I wanted Finland's political center closer to Russia and, in 1812, selected Helsinki as the new capital. Shortly afterward, Turku suffered a disastrous fire, forcing the university to move to Helsinki. The town's future was secure.Just before the czar's proclamation, a fire destroyed many of Helsinki's traditional wooden structures, precipitating the construction of new buildings suitable for a nation's capital. The German-born architect Carl Ludvig Engel was commissioned to rebuild the city, and as a result, Helsinki has some of the purest neoclassical architecture in the world. Add to this foundation the influence of Stockholm and St. Petersburg with the local inspiration of 20th-century Finnish design, and the result is a European capital city that is as architecturally eye-catching as it is distinct from other Scandinavian capitals. You are bound to discover endless engaging details—a grimacing gargoyle; a foursome of males supporting a balcony's weight on their shoulders; a building painted in striking colors with contrasting flowers in the windows. The city's 400 or so parks make it particularly inviting in summer.Today, Helsinki is still a meeting point of eastern and western Europe, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan image, the influx of Russians and Estonians, and generally multilingual population. Outdoor summer bars ("terrassit" as the locals call them) and cafés in the city center are perfect for people watching on a summer afternoon.
Travel to the North Pole. Cross the Arctic Ocean. Explore the far northeast of Greenland...
